Connecter



Jan, 6, P. HAAS CONNECTER Filed Feb. 26, 19 24 awweutoz Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PHILIP I-IAAS, or DAYTON, onrop coNNEc'rER.

Application filed February 26, rear. Serial n 69 5,143.

To all whom it may concemfl Be it known that, I, PHILIP Hans, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgo nery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecters; 'and;I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such-as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaiiis to make and use the same. p

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing which shows several formsin which I have contemplated embodying the invention, selected by .me for purposes ofillustration and the said invention is fullydisclosed in the 7 following description and claim.

The object of my invention is to provide a satisfactory connection orcoupling for devices provided with knob-like terminal portions, and which is particularly useful I for connecting sections of ball chain to each other or to another device.

Referring to'the drawings, V Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a simple form of my connecter. I

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same form of connecter showing it employedor connecting the terminal ball members of two sections ofball chain.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same connecter illustrated in Fig. 1,1show1ngthe end portions bent over on the same side of the connecter, for the purpose of retaining the engaged ball or knob members inengagement therewith.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view: of the same connecter illustrated 1n:F1g. 1-,show1ngthe 1 end portions bent in opposite directionsfor the same purpose.

. Fig. 5 isa sectional view of the form of iconnecter shown in Fig. 3, showingthe ball ;or knob member connectedthereby, enclosed withany device to which it may be desired prefer, however, to form it of comparativeing at all.

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to connect "a ball chain or other flexible connection, by means of the connecter shown herein." I i i i Fig. 9 shows my connecter employed for the purpose of suspendingor tt n flexlble to a p by means era nail or screw. 7 e

'Referring to the-drawings, Figs. 1,2 and 7, represent a simple form of my improved connecter which comprises a plate, 1,'preferably-of greater length than width and Y preferably"formed of metal, although it might be madeof celluloid, indurated fibre, bakelite, or other suitable sheet material. I

ly thin ductile material, as sheet brass or copper, lof'a gauge sufiiciently thin so that the end portions of the plate may be. readily bent into substantially cylindrical form" to enclose the members to beconnected and prevent their accidental disengagement 'by theuse of the fingers alone, or with a pair of light g pliers. Under ordinary. circumstances, it will be most satisfactory to form the device of sheet metal sufficiently thinto bebent in the manner hereinafter described by the fingers without the use'of any tools whatever, although it may be'made of heavler material, if desired, and-as hereinafter stated, it maybe used without bend- The plate, 1,;is provided centrally with an aperture, 2,which .is of sulficient size to permit thepassagetherethrough of the'knob-like terminal [portions ofthe parts to be connected. These may be. the terminal ball, 3, of a section of the well known ball chain, 4, as indicated in Fig. 2,, said chain comprising a plurality ofhollo'w balls, fiexiblyunited by bar links having enlarged head portions within the balls and in common use at thepresent time for various purposes, or they might beterminal knots or other enlargements, 5,'of cord sections,f6, "as lndicated 1n F1g.-7,.or any otheryter minal enlargement which it may be'desirable to connect with a cord chain'or other flexible-connection. The plate, 1, is also provided on opposite' sides of" the central aperture, 2, with a smaller aperture, 7, the

apertures 7, being each connected with thecentral aperture by a longitudinal slot, 8,

as clearlyshown inFig. 1.: The sl ots, 8,

Will be of suchwidth asto accommodate the narrow portion of the cord or other chain (in the case of ball chain the bar link connecting two balls thereof), and the aperr tures, "7 are of slightly greater diameter than the slots, 8, in order to allow for a certain freedom of movement laterally 'ot the part which passes therethrough, but are not large enough to permit the knob-like terminal to pass therethrough, It foflbwg 'from this construction that when the de- Vice is in use the terminal enlar ements tend to center themselves with respect to the apertures, 7, and thereby hold the adjacent narrow portions of the flexible connections (as the cord in the case of a cord with ."wonld take place the plate'vvfere not provided with the end apertures, 7, at greater diameter than the slot, as shown. It the coiine'cter is to be used in a perfectly fiat eonditio'inas indicated in Figs. 1,2 and 7, for example, in connecting the tennina-l balls ottwo sections of ball chain, the terminal balls, '3, are ea-clipass'edthrou h the central eper't fe, 2, one being moved along one of the slots, 8, until the 'c nn'eetingfbar link which nnl'fesit to the adja'dentbfall occupies one of the apertures, 7 inwni'eh it 'ce'i'i't'e'rs itself, the other terminal ball, 3, being moved along the opposite slot, 8, until its 'eonne'et- 111g bar link engages the other apertur'e, 7, and centers itself with respect thereto, when the, parts will be firmly 'c'on'i'iectetd (while the adjacent connecting links are hgeld ont of contact with the plate.% Fig. 7 iilus trates the manner in whi'ei tire conn'e'cter may be used to donne'ct two' seen-ens of cord, 6, the ends of which have been protitled with knob-like terminals, as by forniingenlarged knots, 5, therein. I

Vvhere the plate, 1, is tormed of "djnctile metal, I prefer to bend each of the end portions, 9, into .substantially cylindrical term, as indicated at '9 in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to enclose the terminal balls or enlargements, "and prevent their accidental c lisplacein'ent. In Figs. 3 and 5 I have shown end portions, 9 bent over around the kn'obdikedevices to be c nnected on the same side of the plate. In Figs. l and "6 I have shown the end portions, here indicated at 9", bent in 01) 'osite directions so that. the device forms a Fetter S in cross section, as shown in Fig. 6. In either case it will be noted thatthe two chain seetiene or ether devices to be connected will be maintained in axial ali nment 'which'ni'ay be desirable in many instances where such 'connecter is employed. In case it is desired to C'Ol'lllG'Cl; a flexible ball chain Cord er other "con'iiection with some device, such as a valve, arm or lever, for example, or other part to be operated, this can be conveniently accomplisned by revi'din sneh part with a terminal portion, indicated for example in Fig. 8, having a substantial knob-like 0r spherical end, indicated at 10, connected'by a narrow neck or shank, 11, with the device, as fer example, a valve stem, 12, here shown broken away. Qbviously this terminal knee-hire peruse, 1'0, can be inserted through the aperture, 2, in the plate, so as to bring the neck, l1, into-the slot, 8, and thence into one er the ap nareav, a Chain section or -c0id seen-en can be connected to the other end To f the eenneete'r as hereinb'etoredescribed.

This eonne'cter can els be used fer saspendinga 'section 6f ball ehai'a or other article provided with knolo l'ike t'ern'iinal portion, and in Fig. 9, fer ez mnipl'e, I have illustrated the manner in which the connecter can be used advantageously tor this pm me. In this case the terminal ball, 3, wearer taeanieeterenaai portion, is made to en age the aperture, 7-, in one end of the plate, the adjacent end 'fpert ien er the plate, heie indicated at 9 being bent over and around the terminal ball er projection, 3, and the plate itself being suspended time 'or connected to a stationary enppert, by means or a naijlor screw, indieatedat 1 3', having a head, 14, of asizetnat will pass through the eeatral aperture, 2, permitting the shank "of the screw or nail to p'ass tiiro'n gh the slot, 8, at the opposite end of tlreeonnecter and rest in the apertnre, 7. The upper end of the plate may er may not be bent over the head, 14, of the hall 'or screw, as may be referred. It is shown dotted lines in ent Position, and tnll lines in a straight position.

In the 'maiiiitature of these eonnecters, they maybe made up in fiat term, as indicared in Fig. 1, and will inevitably be so made if they are of "a maeenaiaee ea 'able of being readily bent, and in this term may be used tor many pnrpos'es. Where they are made of thin dnetile metal they may be manufactured and sold in the "flat tor-n1 shown in Fig. 1,01 they "ma be bent partially as indicated in Figs. 3-and 4, so that after the parts to be c'ennected thereb are engaged with the connecter, the end portions may be'finally bent down by the fingers or with a pair of pliers or other snitable. tool it necessary to firmly engage "the connected parts and hold tlrehi permanently against any possibility of accidental *di'splaeement.

What I elaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A conne cte'r tor parts having enlarged terminal 'lao'rtio'ns, eomprising'a plate provided with a central aperture of a size samcient to permit the passage tl' erethrough of the'terminal enlargements *of the parts to be eenneeted, and having -'a'dj-aeent to eaeh end an apertare of. less diameter than said terminal enlargements, said plate havwill hold the narrower portions of said ing slots of less diameter than said end parts to be connected out of engagement apertures connecting each of them with said with the plate. 1 central aperture, whereby the said terminal In testimony whereof I afiix my signaenlargements of the parts to be connected ture, r may be brought into centering engagement With said endapertures of the plate and PHILIP HAAS. I 

